1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology, and more particularly to providing personalized reverse 911 service.
2. Description of the Background Art
Conventionally, simplified reverse 911 service is provided by government agencies such as a local police or fire departments. In these simplified reverse 911 services, the agency maintains a listing of phone numbers for a specific area (e.g., neighborhood) which may be contacted in case of an emergency in the area. For example, if a brush fire is spreading in a particular area, authorities may call all homes in the area to notify people to evacuate or otherwise provide useful information. Disadvantageously, the simplified reverse 911 service is directed to contacting a large number of individuals in an emergency and providing general information.
More recently, a few agencies are enabling a system whereby individuals may provide a contact list in case of emergencies. Thus, if an elderly individual calls the police, the police will notify a designated person from the contact list. While this new system allows some personalization, the process is tedious. For example, the elderly individual needs to contact the local agency and provide the contact list. This contact list is then manually entered into a system of the local agency. During the emergency, an individual associated with the local agency must complete the emergency call (e.g., from the elderly individual) before reviewing the contact list, and manually initiating a call to the designated person. Furthermore, the individual then must remain on the call to provide information regarding the emergency to the designated person. Disadvantageously, this system is prone to human error and is inefficient. For example, the local agency may not have the personnel to initiate the call to the designated person or the contact list may be manually entered incorrectly. A further disadvantage is that only voice messages may be conveyed during these calls. Additional information or data such as video or telemetry cannot be provided.